Archive for the ‘Economic Justice’ Category

Doha development summit

November 27, 2008
Michel Roy for Caritas

Michel Roy for Caritas

Friday, 28th November 

Read Vatican Statement on Doha Meeting and Civil Society Declaration

From the Civil Society Forum to the International Conference on Financing for Development

The Forum ended with a declaration giving civil society’s points of view and demands on the 6 Monterrey pillars, stressing that “the world is consumed by an urgent series of crises: energy, food, climate and finance that not only threaten the realization of the MDGs and the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, but also the stability of the world’s economies. The northern governments and financial system are responsible for the present crises, but the costs and impacts are paid by the entire world and by the poorest countries in particular”. More than 1 billion people are directly struck by the current crises. Not even 2% of the sums that the rich countries have decided to use to save their financial institutions would be needed to finance the MDGs and give everyone a chance of a human life. This is just a matter of political will.

Here are some of the demands that came out of the Forum:
• Developing countries should be allowed to take effective democratic ownership and leadership of their domestic policy space, without interference from northern countries or the Bretton Woods institutions.
• Fair and progressive taxation systems should be established that are redistributive, gender sensitive, accords tax relief for low wage workers and the poor.
• Countries should ratify the UN anti corruption convention and establish an effective system of monitoring its implementation.
• The committee of experts on international cooperation in tax matters should be upgraded to become an intergovernmental body.
• Governments should agree to binding timetables to reach the UN target of 0,7% of GNI of ODA by 2015 at the latest.
• Recognising the global challenges to meet the greenhouse gas emission cuts, countries should commit the additional non-debt creating funds to address climate change.
• Measures should be adopted which promise to generate significant levels of additional funding for environmental and development initiatives including further work on currency transaction and financial tax initiatives.
• Debt cancellation of southern countries must be extended and de-linked from lender conditionality. Structures should be established for addressing the debt crisis in a transparent and accountable manner. Issues related to odious and illegitimate debt have to be addressed.
• In the context of the current financial crisis and its impacts on development, measures such as closing tax havens, ending shadow banking system, stronger regulation of private equity funds and hedge funds and a ban on speculative financial products including over the counter derivatives should be urgently implemented.
• In 2009, the UN should organise a “major international conference at Summit level to comprehensively review the international financial economic governance structures” and include the active participation of civil society.

The declaration was presented at a press conference today afternoon in the presence of the President of the General Assembly of the UN, Father Miguel d’Escoto. Fr d’Escoto is a Maryknoll priest, from Nicaragua, involved in politics of his country for many years where he has been involvements Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was elected for a year term at the beginning of the last General Assembly. He gave us big thanks for our contribution which he said relates very much to his own preoccupations. He spoke of the present moral crisis “we have all been contaminated by the present perverse logics of the predominant culture: the profit at the centre instead of the human being… We must bring the human being back to the heart of economy and development”.

There are representatives from almost all 192 member countries of the UN, but only around 40 heads of state in Doha. Nicolas Sarkozy‘s presence as president of the EU is appreciated, but the fact he his the only one from among the G20 stresses all the more the little importance given by the rich nations to the poor ones through the UN and to financing for development. Other heads of state are the presidents of Sudan, Zimbabwe, Congo, Iran… which gives the Conference a certain atmosphere!

I was interviewed by Al Jazeera on the reasons why such an organisation as Caritas is present and what are our expectations.

In the evening, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the Emir of Qatar organised a “retreat” called “informal high level discussion on the implications of the financial crisis for development, climate change and multilateralism” to act as a bridge from the G20 Washington meeting to the Doha Conference. A kind of starter to put the Conference at the right level of expectation to face the global crisis.


Saturday, 29th November

There we are: the Conference is launched with a lot of hope!

To go beyond the stalemate which was reached as no agreement was found when the negotiators left New York to come to Doha, the President of the General Assembly of the UN, Fr Miguel d’Escoto, decided to propose a new text which should be more acceptable to all and prevent the Conference from being a failure. This would have had dire consequences for the Financing for Development process which is already shaken by the financial and global crises.

Of course, such a text will look weak, and it is by certain measures, but not the worst it could have been. It is particularly weak on tax, debt and aid.

It is important nevertheless to stress that the UN is mentioned as the convenor of next year’s summit on global financial reform and we hope the conference will hold on to it. Also important is that the General Assembly is presented as the relevant body to convene intergovernmental negotiations for finalising the modalities for follow-up of the Doha Conference.

Apparently, the EU said they could live with the document as it is now. And G77 (bringing together more than 130 very diverse countries with major differences of opinion, but all wanting to have a say) feels that, although some key paragraphs on debt and tax are still too weak to be acceptable, paragraphs on systemic issues and on follow-up mechanisms at least mention the minimum that they would be able to live with. We don’t know yet about the US position but things should go forward towards commonly agreed steps.

I (and NGOS here present as a whole) see this text as being weaker than the Monterrey Consensus. Here are some important points (as they presently appear) that we are pushing forward.

Chapter 1: Mobilising domestic financial resources for development

We emphasize the need to address the systemic injustice of South to North resource flows including illicit capital flows. We propose a fully mandated intergovernmental and adequately resourced and funded upgraded UN Tax Committee to address some of these challenges.

Chapter 4: Increasing financial and technical cooperation for development (chapter on aid)

We also welcome the declaration by the G8 leaders in Hokkaido, Japan that they will fulfil their commitments made at Gleneagles (the increase of their ODA by US$50bn to $130bn by 2010) but this is not reflected by the mention of the increase of ODA to Africa by $25bn a year by 2010.

We underline that the financial crisis must not lead to developed countries reneging on aid promises. Donor countries have to agree to have in place binding national timetables, by the end of 2010, to increase aid levels toward achieving the established ODA targets. This has been reaffirmed in one of the today’s side-events on “effective financing for development” chaired by the OECD secretary general.

Chapter 5: External debt

“More efforts are needed through international debt resolution mechanisms to guarantee equivalent treatment of all creditors just treatment of creditors and debtors, legal predictability/ have a juridical framework. These mechanisms should take into account the legitimacy of existing claims, based on how the loans were given.” There is here important wording on the legitimacy of debts.

“We acknowledge the need to address all relevant issues regarding external debt problems, including through the United Nations and considering new ad hoc forums with technical support from the Bretton Woods institutions to explore, inter alia, sovereign debt work-out mechanisms, improving the transparency of existing frameworks and the possibility of crafting permanent debt mediation or arbitration procedures.”

Chapter 6: Addressing systemic issues

“In light of this review and recent events, we stress the need to convene a major international conference, under the United Nations auspices…” This is discussed as another summit that not everybody would like to happen. But we agree that the present crisis and its consequences make a global reform of the international system necessary, and that this has to be done in an inclusive way.

Pdt Fr Miguel d’Escoto told the Conference that he has set up a group of experts around Joseph Stiglitz to reflect on the situation and propose a reform of the United Nations.

Conclusion: on the follow up

A new intergovernmental structure is requested in the text to complement the FFD office, with a clear process to go forward.

All our job now remains to promote our views, and for me the CI ones, with the delegates.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, as acting president of the European Union, has made the trip to Doha, thus recognising the importance of both UN and financing for development especially in this period of crisis. This has been largely appreciated, as well as the importance he gave to renewed international governance making Africa and other continents real participants in the various international organisations. He said that the G8 is finished, as it has to be inclusive of more nations from all over the world. The problem is that bringing RSA and the AU on board for instance does not mean that all nations will be really represented.
It remains co-opting when it should be a democratic representation. Actually continuing to weaken the UN. We were expecting strong words on tax havens and the struggle against illicit financial flows, but that did not come.

Apart from the Plenary where all governments speak to give their opinion on the draft outcome declaration, round tables and side events allow speakers to give their view on related issues. It is an amazing blooming of ideas, usually very expert and constructive. Even if they do not integrate the declaration, they contribute to going ahead on all major issues. At the side event on “Effective financing for development” organised by the OECD, we heard among others Trevor Manuel, Finance minister of the Republic of South Africa, present his experience on mobilising taxes and Eckhard Deutscher of the DAC of OECD on the predictability of aid.


Sunday, 30 November

A hard day of negotiations

Negotiations were stranded today after the US tried to reopen several paragraphs in the negotiations this morning. The President of the General Assembly decided to adjourn the negotiations, so country groupings could discuss in the afternoon what were the very few issues that they absolutely needed to be seen in the text (or didn’t want to see changed). The Secretariat then went back to try to incorporate some of the amendments on the text. Negotiations with all were due to resume at 9pm, but they were postponed to Monday morning, and instead a limited group of 60 went to work the whole night, through in a small room with no chairs. We will soon know whether the GA Presidency managed to streamline the list of objections to a few issues, or whether the US keeps on trying to reopen several paragraphs - which then will seriously threaten the possibility of having an outcome document.

Meanwhile, at 8pm, EU ministers met at the Four Seasons Hotel to discuss the European position with regards to their key issues, and what issues they were willing to compromise on. The Europeans won’t compromise on paragraph 60 on climate change and on aid - they do not want the language to be weakened. On the other hand, they want changes on paragraph 22 on trade (no mention to major reforms in the trade system) and on 58 on systemic issues (no summit, but only high level dialogue) and 65 on the follow-up mechanisms (no creation of new institutional mechanisms).

As the US is pushing strongly to reopen numerous paragraphs, and even threatening to abandon the negotiations, Civil Society Organisations decided to draft a brief letter addressed to the EU ministers urging them to stand strongly for the outcome document, even if we still have strong reservations on a number of issues, and not give up to the US pressure.

A symbolic action was undertaken in the afternoon in the press room: a vote on the US position or the G191 position.

With the CIDSE colleagues, we met the Apostolic Delegate to the UN, Archbishop Migliore. We shared our views on the Holy See document and devised some lobbying steps to forward on major issues.

And as everyday at 7:00 pm, we met the French/EU team to discuss the day and our respective positions. Our priority now is to try to keep the draft document as it is. For the sake of the expectations of the billions of people living in poverty around the world.

Touching down in Doha

26 November

Aujourd’hui 26 novembre se sont retrouvés à Doha, la capitale du Qatar, plus de 300 militants représentants d’organisations non gouvernementales, de syndicats et de réseaux internationaux. Un programme de deux jours pour faire le point sur les négociations entre les gouvernements qui vont se retrouver ici le 29 novembre et préparer notre participation à la conférence internationale sur le financement du développement. Militants de tous continents unis pour porter la parole et les attentes des plus pauvres quant à leur avenir parmi lesquels des membres des réseaux catholiques ou protestants de développement (dont CIDSE) et des représentants de congrégations religieuses comme les carmélites et le réseau Vivat international.

La conférence a été organisée par l’ONU pour faire un état des lieux 6 ans après celle de Monterrey qui avait défini 6 axes pour le financement des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement : la mobilisation des ressources nationales, l’aide publique au développement, la contribution du secteur privé, l’annulation de la dette, des règles commerciales justes, et la réforme du système international.

6 ans après, le constat partagé ici est que peu a été fait pour atteindre les objectifs que Monterrey s’était fixés. Le suivi des engagements pris s’est tenu dans le cadre de réunions de dialogue de haut niveau tous les 2 ans, s’appuyant sur un secrétariat démuni en ressources. Les crises qui se sont accumulées cette année, au-delà des dérèglements environnementaux, crises alimentaire et financière, questionnent l’ordre économique international, bousculent l’agenda de Doha et rendent encore plus urgent la mobilisation pour donner à chacun et à tous les moyens de se développer. Les attentes à l’égard des dirigeants de la planète qui viennent se retrouver ici sont d’autant plus élevées.

Le Forum de la société civile a voulu, dans ce contexte, mettre l’accent sur les objectifs du développement : il ne s’agit pas tant de mobiliser des moyens que d’« investir dans un développement centré sur le peuple ». Ce Forum a été organisé avec le concours des autorités qataries qui étaient présentes à la séance d’ouverture.

Nous avons commencé par travailler sur l’approfondissement et la priorisation des recommandations que les uns et les autres ont élaborées ces derniers mois sur la base du projet de déclaration élaboré par le bureau FdD des Nations Unies dans le cadre d’ateliers travaillant sur chacun des 6 piliers de Monterrey, et disponible depuis la fin du mois de juillet.

J’ai participé à l’atelier sur la mobilisation des ressources nationales. Ont été débattues les questions de l’espace politique nécessaire aussi bien au niveau des états que des communautés pour définir leurs politiques de développement ; les politiques macroéconomiques et la prise en considération de l’économie réelle, largement informelle ; les impôts et taxes ; les flux illicites de capitaux qui représentent des sommes considérables qui peuvent financer les OMD plusieurs fois et la nécessité de mettre au point des outils de contrôle ; la prise en compte du genre, en soi et à travers l’ensemble du texte. Puis ont été définies en plénière des priorités et une stratégie pour les ultimes démarches de lobbying des jours qui viennent.

Une déclaration de la société civile est en préparation, reprenant l’ensemble des préoccupations majeures portées ici.

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Humanitarian Agencies appeal for $7 billion in aid for 2009

November 26, 2008

By Francesca Merico
CI International Delegate in Geneva

On November 19 2008, Caritas Internationalis participated in a meeting with governments, UN Agencies and non-governmental organizations, held at the United Nations in Geneva, to launch the Inter-Agencies Humanitarian Appeal for 2009.

Caritas was cited among the organizations participating in this consolidated 2009 appeal to facilitate humanitarian action in Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’ Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kenya, the occupied Palestinian territories, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa and Zimbabwe. 

« We are here to plead for US$7 billion for a response to the urgent call of 30 million people across 31 countries whose lives have been wrecked by conflict and natural disasters » said Mr. John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, opening the ceremony. Other keynote speakers were representatives from UNICEF, the Norwegian Refugee Council and OCHA.

As during the other meetings I’ve attended over the past 5 years, it is always very moving and painful to hear about the impact of conflicts, natural disasters, and the effects of food and financial crises on large numbers of people forced to flee their homes and countries, lose their loved ones and be denied all basic services.

How can we stand indifferent in front of the 1.3 million people displaced since fighting broke out again in North Kivu in Congo? What about the hundreds of children abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army from Uganda? What should be our response when sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, humiliating women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo? How can we help the 180.000 malnourished children in Somalia when the country’s instability poses increasing challenges to safe humanitarian intervention? How do we deliver effective and timely protection and assistance to the people affected by floods and cyclones?

The Inter-Agency Humanitarian Appeal strongly urges a response to these challenges. It aims to assist the most vulnerable people in twelve of the world’s most severe crises by helping key humanitarian actors to define their strategic priorities and present projects and requests for the funding necessary to implement the strategies and to achieve the goals.

The next step in this process will be a meeting in Geneva in January 2009, when donors will gather to discuss and coordinate their strategies, priorities, and responses to the Consolidated Appeals.

The Humanitarian Appeal for 2009 can be downloaded at:

http://ochaonline.un.org/humanitarianappeal/webpage.asp?Page=1709

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Only the poor will pay - Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga

November 17, 2008

Why can the world find money to save banks, but not lives?

Caritas Internationalis President, Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, discusses this worrying phenomenon in an interview with Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana.

“Last spring, leaders who met in Rome said the there wasn’t enough money for the Millennium Development Goals, yet no one had any problem finding millions of dollars for the banks,” said Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga.

In a recent interview with Famiglia Cristiana, Cardinal Rodriguez said that the current global crisis has not only created more poverty but it is the poor who are paying the highest price.

“The petrol crisis, where prices went through the roof this summer, created 100 million poor people,” said Cardinal Rodríguez.

“To feed one billion malnourished people in the world, you only need US$30 billion per year, less than  5 percent of the White House’s bank bailout plan,” he said.

The Cardinal says financial crimes surely produce more deaths than war, hunger, thirst and disease because of the poverty they cause, and should be punished.

He says the money that disappeared  during the current crisis has actually gone into the pockets of the rich - to the detriment of the poor. He says that change is the only way forward.

“We have to understand that capitalism, the ruler of the world economy for the past 30 years, has failed,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be built up again, it needs to be changed.”

Cardinal Rodríguez warned  that the recession will create more unemployment and there will be knock-on effects from this. He says that remittances from Latin American immigrants in the USA have already started to go down.

The Church has a key role in establishing rules and guaranteeing everyone’s well-being, said the Cardinal.

“What we’re seeing today is above all an ethical crisis, where people don’t limit their wants,” he said. “This goes as much for military spending as it does for the housing boom. The world doesn’t just revolve around money, there are other values.”

The Cardinal said that lack of trust as well as fear have contributed to the current climate.

“Fear rules us,” he said. “Fear of losing our money, fear of other nations, fear of not being able to buy things.

“Post-September 11th terrorism has achieved its aim: it has spread fear across the world and laid fertile ground for racism which produces poverty and closes societies.”

Cardinal Rodríguez said the current crisis is not about to end. On the contrary, it is only just beginning.

Read the full interview in Italian

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MDGs: One world, One storm

October 16, 2008


Discussing poverty at the UN
By Caritas President - Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga
(Spanish, French)

 

Cardinal Rodriguez interviewed at the UN high level poverty meeting

Cardinal Rodriguez interviewed at the UN high level poverty meeting

Bad weather delayed my journey from Honduras to New York. I suppose it’s no surprise considering the hurricanes that swept over the Caribbean recently, devastating parts of Haiti and bringing the threat of another Katrina to New Orleans.

It seems appropriate that I was going to a Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) meeting at the UN to speak on climate change  - something which affects us all, but some more than others.

Extreme weather events are becoming a fact of life, but my work with Caritas Internationalis has shown me that what may mean a late plane or ruined holidays for some people, means rebuilding lives from the beginning for others who are living in poorer countries.

For me, speaking at the MDG meeting as one of the few civil society leaders was a privilege because I could help the voices of these people be heard.

They are people who lose everything because of the whims of the weather, but don’t have the power to adapt their lives so it doesn’t happen again and again.

As I said in my speech at the UN, the MDGs are a catalyst for action and a way of measuring governments’ promises against what they actually do.

We may be at the halfway mark and good progress has been made in some areas, but some countries aren’t halfway there in achieving the targets.

Poverty reduction isn’t working and the global food and fuel crises mean that ever more people are getting poorer.

Caritas wants to ensure that those who are being left behind catch up before 2015. Our work encompasses all of the goals, from ending hunger and poverty to building people’s capacity to face the devastating effects of climate change and to backing a global partnership for development.

We’re taking a long hard look at ourselves to make sure that what we do is more effective in helping the development of these countries left behind.

But Caritas and other aid agencies can’t work effectively without the political will to put the brutal inequalities between rich and poor countries to the top of the global agenda.

As I was walking among the skyscrapers of Manhattan following  the UN poverty meeting I couldn’t help thinking about a cruel irony. While we were discussing pledging enough money to give the poor of the world the minimum standards of living, in the course of those same few days the US Government was discussing paying US$750 billion to bail out the US financial sector and mitigate the “financial storm” that had brewed in America.

Thousands of children are dying every day because of lack of food and medicines and people with very little are losing everything in floods, droughts and hurricanes that get worse as the years pass.

These people don’t live in the “developing world” or the “third world”, they live in our world.

The US$850 billion figure finally agreed upon to save America’s banks dwarfed the US$16 billion pledged to help the poor at the UN poverty  meeting.

When are we going to show the same commitment to bailing out our brothers and sisters living in poverty as we’re showing to bailing out our banks?
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ODM-Un mundo, una tempestad
Discutiendo sobre la pobreza en la ONU
del Presidente de Caritas, S.Em.a Óscar Andrés Cardenal Rodríguez Maradiaga

El mal tiempo retrasó mi viaje de Honduras a Nueva York. Imagino que eso no les sorprenda, sabiendo los huracanes que han azotado el Caribe últimamente, devastando zonas de Haití y con la amenaza de otro, parecido a Katrina, en Nueva Orleans.

Pero parece apropiado que yo estuvieran yendo a la reunión sobre los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (OMS) a la ONU, para hablar sobre el cambio climático,  algo que nos afecta a todos, pero a algunos más que a otros. Las inclemencias del tiempo se están convirtiendo en hechos de la vida cotidiana, pero mi trabajo en Caritas Internationalis me ha enseñado que lo que para una persona significa que su avión se retrasó o que las vacaciones se le estropearon, para otras, que  viven en países pobres, quiere decir reconstruirse la vida desde el principio.

Para mí, hablar en la reunión de los OMD, como uno de los pocos líderes presentes de la sociedad civil, fue un privilegio, porque así pude ayudar a que las voces de esas personas fueran escuchadas.

Hay personas que lo han perdido todo, a causa de los caprichos del tiempo, pero no tienen el poder de adaptar sus vidas, para evitar que eso no suceda de nuevo. Como dije en mi discurso en la ONU, los ODM son catalizadores para la acción y una forma para comparar las promesas de los gobiernos, respecto a lo luego hacen realmente. Podemos estar a medio camino y haber hecho progresos relevantes, en algunos campos, sin embargo, algunos países no están a medio camino de alcanzar los objetivos. La reducción de la pobreza no está funcionando y las crisis mundiales de alimentos y carburante significan que ahora incluso un mayor número de personas se empobrecerán.

Caritas quiere asegurarse de que aquellos que ahora están quedando rezagados, puedan recuperarse antes del 2015. Nuestro trabajo abarca todos los objetivos, desde el terminar con el hambre y la pobreza, hasta la capacitación para afrontar los efectos devastadores del cambio climático y apoyar la cooperación mundial para el desarrollo. Nos estamos autoevaluando, con el fin de asegurarnos de que lo que estamos haciendo es realmente lo más eficaz para ayudar a esos países que quedan rezagados.

Sin embargo, Caritas y otras agencias humanitarias no pueden trabajar de manera eficaz, sin la voluntad política de incluir las escandalosas desigualdades entre los países ricos y los pobres como prioridades en la agenda mundial.

Mientras caminaba entre los rascacielos de Manhattan, tras la reunión sobre la pobreza en la ONU, no pude evitar pensar  en la cruel ironía de la realidad: estábamos discutiendo las promesas de incrementar la financiación para que los pobres del mundo puedan contar con unos estándares mínimos en sus vidas, mientras en esos mismos días, el Gobierno de EE.UU. discutía sobre los 750 mil millones  que quería destinar para sacar de apuros al sector financiero de EE.UU. y mitigar la “tempestad financiera” que se había gestado en América.

Millares de niños mueren cada día a causa de la falta de alimentos y medicinas y gente que ya tiene poco lo pierde todo en una inundación, por una sequía o un huracán, que con el paso de los años son cada vez peores. Esta gente no vive en el “mundo en vías de desarrollo”  o en el “tercer mundo”, vive en nuestro mundo.

Esos 850 mil millones acordados al final para salvar a los bancos americanos, merman los 16 mil millones prometidos para ayudar a los pobres, durante la reunión de la ONU. ¿Cuándo vamos a demostrar el mismo empeño que demostramos en sacar de apuros nuestros bancos, para sacar de apuros a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que viven en la pobreza?
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ODM - Un seul monde, une seule tempête
Discuter de la pauvreté aux Nations unies
le Président de Caritas - le Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga

Les mauvaises conditions météorologiques ont retardé mon voyage du Honduras à New York. Je suppose que cela n’a rien d’étonnant eu égard aux ouragans qui ont frappé les Caraïbes dernièrement, détruisant des zones d’Haïti et annonçant la menace d’un nouveau Katrina à La Nouvelle-Orléans.

Je me rendais justement à une réunion sur les Objectifs de développement du Millénaire (ODM) aux Nations Unies  pour parler des changements climatiques - une question qui touche nous tous, mais certains plus que d’autres.

Les événements météorologiques extrêmes deviennent une réalité, mais le travail avec Caritas Internationalis m’a montré que ce qui veut dire pour certains le retard d’un vol ou des vacances gâchées, pour d’autres, qui vivent dans les pays les plus pauvres, veut dire reconstruire une vie à partir de zéro.

M’exprimer à la réunion sur les ODM en tant que responsable de la société civile  a été pour moi un privilège, parce que j’ai  pu contribuer à faire entendre les voix de ces personnes.

Il s’agit de personnes qui perdent tout à cause des caprices météorologiques, et qui n’ont pas la possibilité d’adapter leurs vies pour éviter que cela ne se reproduise sans cesse.

Comme je l’ai dit dans mon discours aux Nations unies, les ODM sont un catalyseur de l’action et un moyen de mesurer ce que les gouvernements font réellement par rapport à leurs promesses d’engagement.

Nous avons peut-être fait la moitié du chemin jusqu’à la date cible et de bons progrès ont été accomplis dans certains domaines, mais certains pays n’en sont pas là.

La  réduction de la pauvreté n’avance pas, et la crise alimentaire et la crise des carburants qui touchent le monde entier entraînent, plus que jamais, l’appauvrissement d’un plus grand nombre de personnes.

Caritas veut faire en sorte que ceux qui ont accusé un retard puissent se rattraper avant 2015. Notre action englobe tous les objectifs : mettre un terme à la faim et à la pauvreté, renforcer les capacités des personnes à faire face aux effets dévastateurs des changements climatiques. soutenir un partenariat mondial pour le développement.

Nous examinons très attentivement ce que nous faisons afin de pouvoir contribuer d’une manière plus efficace au développement de ces pays qui sont en retard.

Or, Caritas et d’autres organisations humanitaires ne pourront pas œuvrer de façon efficace sans la volonté politique de placer les graves inégalités entre pays riches et pays pauvres parmi les priorités mondiales.

En me promenant au milieu des gratte-ciels de Manhattan, après la réunion sur la pauvreté aux Nations unies, je n’ai pu m’empêcher de penser à cette cruelle ironie : pendant que nous discutions de promettre des fonds suffisants pour donner aux plus démunis de la planète  un niveau de vie minimum, au cours de ces mêmes journées, le gouvernement des Etats-Unis discutait de payer 750 milliards USD pour dépanner le secteur financier et atténuer les effets de la “tempête financière” qui se préparait en Amérique.

Des milliers d’enfants meurent chaque jour à cause du manque de vivres et de médicaments, et des personnes perdent le peu qu’elles ont à la suite des inondations, des sécheresses et des ouragans qui s’intensifient au fur et à mesure que les années passent.

Ces personnes ne vivent pas dans le “monde en développement” ou dans le “tiers monde”, elles vivent dans notre monde.

Face à la somme de 850 milliards USD qui a été finalement établie pour sauver les banques d’Amérique, les 16 milliards USD promis pour aider les plus démunis à la réunion sur la pauvreté des Nations unies semble une bien petite somme.

Quand nous engagerons-nous à dépanner nos frères et sœurs qui vivent dans la pauvreté comme nous le faisons avec nos banques?
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UN and the MDGs - food crisis and credit crisis vie for attention in NY

September 24, 2008

By Emer Mullins, Trócaire

Day one

There’s a great buzz in New York any time but this week it’s very noticeable around the UN building on 44th Street at 1st Avenue, as the world’s leaders gather for the annual general assembly and the midway review of the Millennium Development Goals, a series of eight targets designed to significantly reduce poverty and disease by 2015.

Among those attending this year are Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, US President George Bush, former President Bill Clinton, former Irish President Mary Robinson and of course our new Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin and Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power. US Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican party, Sarah Palin, is also rumoured to be making an appearance. Security is very tight, and armed police line the streets around the building.

Also planned for this week in New York is the launch of the Irish government’s Hunger Task Force report, which will take place on Thursday morning in the UN.

Today, Monday, was kicked off by a high level meeting on Africa’s development needs. The main topic of discussion was food: the food crisis, food sovereignty, where countries could themselves produce all the food required without having to rely on imports, and the cost of food and oil. Trócaire had observer status at the meeting, where the head of the African Union, the president of Tanzania, spoke of how many countries had not kept their previous commitments when it came to resources. There were renewed calls for the billions of dollars required to meet Africa’s development needs.

NGOs were at a side event on the response to the world food crisis attended by the President of Malawi, Bingu Wa Mutharika and Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Colombia University (and the author of The End of Poverty) among others.

Later there was an interesting event at the UN Church Centre led by Caritas Internationalis, the confederation of Catholic development agencies, of which Trócaire is a member. The gathering included the head of the UN’s Millennium Campaign and a number of government and religious leaders who saw a very strong dramatisation based on the MDGs and how people tend to measure them by statistics, incremental improvements or declines, rather than really seeing and hearing the actual people in the developing world behind the numbers. The event was a recommitment from NGOs to making sure that these goals - minimal as they are - are reached by the deadline of 2015.

Meanwhile, Minister for Overseas Development Peter Power is visiting Ireland’s famine memorial in New York today. Another manmade food crisis, if you will.

New York media are talking about yet another crisis - the financial crisis on Wall Street which saw two more major investment banks morph into commercial banks yesterday. Commentators on main news channels last night were talking about a return to the days of the Great Depression after the Wall Street crash in the 1920s. The price of oil hit a new one-day high and the government’s financial rescue plan is being hotly debated between Republicans and Democrats.

Events at the UN are unfolding against this backdrop of local politics which suggests that the attention of the politicians is clearly focused on the local rather than the international. But today comes a large event on the MDGs by the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). So everybody’s talking about the Goals but the question remains: what will the rest of the week bring in terms of new commitments to their achievement? Stay tuned.

Day two

As the government prepares to launch its Hunger Task Force report tomorrow in New York, we had the opportunity yesterday to visit the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park in the city. Located on a half acre site of prime Manhattan real estate, the memorial at first glance is not very prepossessing. I had heard of it but never seen any photos.

I suppose I expected something evocative like the famine sculptures in Mayo and even in Dublin, but this seemed to be a little field with overgrown stone walls, the remnants of a typical Irish cottage.

On closer inspection though there were stones in the ground inscribed with the names of each county, and writings around the base of the memorial outlining some of the horrific statistics from the famine days as well as the generosity of those who gave, including the American Indians and prisoners from Sing Sing jail. The Malthusian principles of population control from Thomas Malthus all those years ago explained that Ireland was settled by too many people and the eradication of a significant number was warranted.

The famine, or now known as the great hunger, was political in nature, caused primarily by the policies of the British government at the time. Hunger in the world today is also political, caused by government policies or lack thereof. It seemed to me as we stood at the base of the memorial that this week is a real opportunity for governments to acknowledge that hunger is their responsibility and to state clearly how they will fund its eradication.

But the economic crunch here in the city is dominating the news shows, and despite the security lock down imposed around the UN because of the unpopularity of some of the visiting heads of state, including Iran’s, there is very little news coverage so far of the UN events.

Wall Street, the great bastion of capitalism, dominates. The numbers being discussed for the government bail out of banks are so large that people can’t even grasp the implications yet. Republicans and Democrats are squabbling over the proposed plan, which has to be signed off by Friday.

Meanwhile, there’s an event at the UN Church Centre today discussing women and poverty in New York. Poverty levels will be greatly increased once the cost of the rescue plan trickles down. And the US government is expected to recommit to its achievement of the MDGs later this week, as is Ireland. Tomorrow will reveal all!

 

Day three

Nancy Aburi, a member of the Irish government’s hunger task force from Kenya, said if we are to positively affect development in Africa we should concentrate on women’s empowerment and education. The women of Africa, she said, will help build communities and develop the continent.

We were speaking after Taoiseach Brian Cowen launched the Hunger Task Force report in New York at the UN. The Task Force was set up last year to look at ways in which Ireland could have an impact on the fight against hunger.

The launch was attended by members of the Task Force, such as Nancy, and Sheila Sisulu, from the World Food Programme, another African woman. She was supposed to lend a little gender equality to the dais, but an accident saw her breaking her leg and her wheelchair could not be accommodated at the top table. That left Task Force Chair Joe Walsh, former minister for agriculture, Bono, Ban Ki-Moon, secretary general of the UN, Jeffrey Sachs of Colombia University, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin and Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power seated at the top of the ECOSOC chamber.

In the chamber itself, Britain, Norway, Sweden and Australia were some of the countries represented. However, African leaders were also conspicuous by their absence, Nancy pointed out.

The photographers were delighted when Bob Geldof and Bono appeared in time for a few private words with the Irish politicians before the event kicked off. Launching the event, Chairman Joe Walsh said that hunger epitomised the most gross consequences of sustained injustice and that the only tolerable approach to it must be to pursue its early global elimination as a goal of unparalleled importance.

He spoke of the three key recommendations in the report, the focus on agriculture, the need to focus on nutrition and the need for governance to ensure that all governments are held to account to follow through on their commitments.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs mentioned Ireland’s commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on aid by 2012, and the Taoiseach’s speech reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to the MDGs and the target date of 2015.

He said the government would reflect on the report’s findings and determine how best to move forward. “Hunger is our greatest challenge,” he said.

“It is nothing short of scandalous that there are over 860 million hungry people in the world today. We do not need to make further pledges if we just deliver on what we have already promised. The commitments and the know-how are already there. It is the political will and action that will make the difference in the fight against hunger.”

Bono, also a task force member, offered some musings on the psychological scars left by the Irish famine, and remarked that it was not the result of crop failure and bad luck, but bad management by those in power who were exporting food at the same time. He said that while it’s fashionable in some quarters to dismiss aid, it does work. Ireland had benefited from EU aid, he added.

With the right policies and interventions we can make a difference for people on the ground, he said. He thanked Bob Geldof for being there - and for shaving and putting on a suit for the occasion.

When the official event was over, Irish media and photographers swarmed all over Bono, seeking his opinion on the US presidential election candidate for the vice-presidency, Sarah Palin, whom he was supposed to meet yesterday. He was dodging the questions, moaned one, wouldn’t be drawn on what he thought of her.

Sometimes the person becomes bigger than the issue, but Bono was on message today.

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UN and the MDGs - a time for action

September 23, 2008

By Joseph C Donnelly
Head of Caritas Internationalis’ delegation at the UN

Joseph C Donnelly

Monday morning around the United Nations headquarters unfolded quietly, at least more so than usual.

The “Frozen Zone” perimeter around Midtown’s trendy Eastside Turtle Bay meant that the global village around the UN was locked in with preventive security which greatly restricted traffic.

It’s an annual occurrence. Army helicopters fly overhead, sharp shooters hover around rooftops and UN issued ID badges are a top commodity.

The primary business of the day found Member States rallied around a special General Assembly Meeting at UN headquarters to assess the state of development in Africa.
 
Looking into the hard facts and reality checks this means the food and fuel crises, hunger and nutrition, HIV-AIDS treatment and prevention, climate change, water and sanitation.

On the margins of these intense thematic and humanitarian debates vital diplomatic discourse looks into conflict prevention, conflict resolution, security and democracy. It’s a full house with a very full agenda.

These days set the tone for the General Assembly agenda for the next year. Wisdom and patience are as critical to real progress as the political will to assume responsibility and do good. The Millennium Development Goals are a pivotal part of the great debate - things achieved, lives saved, lives lost, promises not kept, goals missed.

In this charged atmosphere - faith based organizations, regional and international networks, along with NGOs from all over the world, fill in every possible space where civil society can speak truth to power. These voices echo out from profound grassroots, from investments and commitments to accompany the poor. These voices have also gathered in New York this week around these exact same urgent concerns on every continent. They demand responsible government action now.

The MDGs have reached their midpoint, years after historic pledges were made before all the world at the UN’s Millennium Summit as the new century unfolded. It has unfolded to reveal the skill, power and resources necessary to alleviate poverty and hunger, in our time.

Monday evening saw gatherings of all kinds around Manhattan. As one taxi driver said: “They’re here. They’re all here. Here we go again. Maybe they’ll do something this time!”  More than a year ago the UK Prime Minister drew attention to the state of the MDGs, highlighting growing anxiety that the goals were too far off to be met and too disconnected from communities in  need around the world.

In the “Frozen Zone” a network of civil society organizations hosted an International Interfaith Manifestation, a special event, to draw others into a discussion on what the MDGs were intended to accomplish. It was a moment to consider these tools, to see the real needs of real human beings on every continent and in every possible context of society. The MDG-NGO convening group, led by Caritas Internationalis, sent hundreds of invitations to heads of state, UN Missions, diplomats, non-governmental organizations, economists, academics and international religious leaders and others.

At the UN Church Center, home to dozens of NGOs, a standing room only event unfolded at sunset Monday to the beat of African drums.

The fresh energy of the performers offered stakeholders from all sectors the space to ask the hard questions. Hearing the Call to Action demands a planned and committed response from governments and civil society alike. It isn’t possible to pursue peace and security while hunger grows, while national resources are exploited, lands and are lives damaged. Diplomatic leaders unabashedly exclaimed: “Without NGOs very little is achieved, yet they receive so little support or openness from too many governments.” One international expert admitted: “Most of the NGOs here were working on the MDGs long before I even knew what they were.”

The Call to Action is pressuring all parties to engage right here! right now! This is the place and now is the time. MDGs: Partners for Justice. Every day lives are lost needlessly.

Let’s face it together to end the incredible scandal of sustained poverty and the exploitation of natural resources.

Day two

After the intensity of African issues and development concerns on Monday, heads of state from France, Iran and USA were just three of the countries to take the UN General Assembly podium today to give their own views of the challenges we face.

They are three of the 192 countries who are members. Many people wonder who will be the 193rd, a healthy sign of nation building decades after the UN was established.

Amid the broad history and global rhetoric, there are the lives of at least one billion people. They are dubbed “the bottom billion” by journalists and humanitarian experts.

They are those without food. Those without means. Those destined to die if the world does not to notice the misery of living on less than a dollar a day. Those whose stories too often go untold, whose voices are silenced or ignored.

Not so today. In the UN Church Centre, people from around the globe met to further focus on human rights. From religious leaders to former heads of state, from doctors to social workers, boat makers to scholars, brave ones came to give voice, their own voices, to witness boldly the violations of their community’s human rights.

There is a new advocacy tool to help. The Millennium Development Goals and Human Rights has been produced by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights and the Millennium Campaign. It coincides with the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That’s the meaning. This is the moment. Dignity and justice for all of us.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, gets the message loud and clear. He said, “Passing the midpoint to the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals, we face a development emergency. Millions of people are still trapped in structural poverty and go hungry everyday. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let us remember that development should not be a privilege of the few but a right for all.”

What good is development without community survival. What good is nation building without development. What is good governance without protection of the environment and natural resources.

There is cynicism in some circles. Issues travel up, down, around the roundtables, square tables and the Security Council’s famous u-shaped table. Everything has its well-ordered place even if the world order is far from just.

On the 25th, there will be 24 hours of talks around the Millennium Development Goals at the UN. Another 24 hours to stand up, give voice to precisely what we know about eradicating poverty, restoring human dignity, sustaining fragile environments.

“Can the gains of development really be sustained if rights are not anchored in laws and institutions, and if duty-bearers are not held accountable for their efforts - and outcomes?” This is according to the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Maybe our best “lessons learned” come as ever from walking in the shoes of the other… Maybe we need to walk differently to see differently and to act responsibly.

Day three

We say every voice counts; we’ve been saying this for years, decades, forever.

We say all are created equal, but we recognize all do not live with equality. The tension of realities around the UN this week have taken up much space, but still far from enough, far from where they need to break through status quo.

The UN General Assembly Call to Action has altered the annual opening space at the UN. The leading governments have changed the stakes of partnership. We can’t continue to pretend things are getting substantially better. “The bottom billion” know it; we know it - and more are getting to know it.

Globalization brings both blessings and burdens. Hi-tech communications have brought unprecedented access to information, information bursting with exacting details, images, facts, faces and more.

As the UN Secretary-General noted on Wednesday to leaders from all sectors:

“We know it! We know it! We all know it - as I know it…We know the problems. We know the opportunities. We need to act now - together.”

We don’t need more words, we don’t need more summits to identify roadmaps. Looking at the Millennium Development Goals, are we 30 percent closer to achieving them, 50 percent, 10 percent?

This is part of the urgent conversation this week in New York and everywhere. More funds are needed; more understanding of the possibilities is needed. The MDG gaps are there; the gaps are known, reviewed, they demand a response.

There’s a UN report to read which invites every stakeholder to act on it all. There’s a UNDP report on the MDGs-2008; excellent information & challenge.

There are other reports - from every corner of the continents. For example,  Caritas Internationalis regularly releases reports from members in 162 countries, highlighting lessons learned across the globe.

When the food crisis, the fuel crisis or the economic crisis preoccupies every new outlet around the world we should ask immediately - why is this a surprise to anyone?

But where are the stories today about devastated communities, villages, suffering with environmental pollution, still recovering slowly from the Tsunami? Who will write about the estimated 4 million nurses needed globally? Will anyone write about the need for 80 million teachers?

That’s the conversation echoing all over the streets of Midtown Manhattan this week – the same streets where public demonstrations about Iraq, Iran, Myanmar, Colombia, Sri Lanka, USA, Pakistan and more take place.

All this in that high security “Frozen Zone” which limits access to most people. The problems/solutions remain matters of access - access to the leaders, access to the resources, access to the decisions.

Current levels of human isolation have greatly enlarged the gaps, distances. Meanwhile, we know some partnerships are flourishing, some governments are thinking outside the box, inviting shared investments.

Some governments are absolutely convinced that faith-based organizations hold unprecedented records of profound commitments to people day by day.

This week at the UN this is the moment: Act Now! Be responsible! Act now together to accomplish more and implement existing commitments! While UN protocols take exception to the impassioned use of exclamation marks, the noise is getting heard, like it or not, as reasonable leaders face facts.

A former UN Secretary-General once said: “You must remind governments of what they know. You must disturb them, reminding them that you know what they know. You know what they have seen in your communities, in your programs, in the best of times and very worst of times. Never let them forget. Honest ones will respect you for that, even if it adds to their burdens.”

NGOs are the window to reality. With looming consequences from a year of traumatic global crises, it would be grossly irresponsible to continue with business as usual.

A broken world expects our global response. Will we walk a mile, a step, a moment in the shoes, strapped sandals, sneakers, bare feet of our neighbors?

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Accra Summit Blog Entries

September 2, 2008

By Blandine Bouniol, Caritas Internationalis Policy Analyst


Part 1: Accra aid assignment
30 August 2008

Caritas Internationalis is part a large ecumenical alliance bringing together African Churches and international faith-based organisations, including SECAM, AACC, CIDSE, APRODEV and ACT Development, representing millions of Christians in Africa and around the world, for the purpose of voicing our common concerns on aid effectiveness.

After months of intensive and long-distance joint planning and coordination work, the time had finally come to meet!

More than 50 delegates from organisations members of the ecumenical alliance made their way to Accra, to participate in the parallel forum for Civil Society Organisations on aid effectiveness on 31 August and 1 September.

The CSO parallel forum precedes the official high level forum on aid effectiveness. There hundreds of senior representatives from northern and southern governments and heads of international cooperation agencies, 80 representatives of civil society organisations, including four from our ecumenical alliance, will design a two-year roadmap to advance aid effectiveness, taking account of the relatively slow progress of the implementation of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness, adopted in 2005.

Ahead of the CSO parallel forum, SECAM hosted an ecumenical preparatory meeting for all the ecumenical delegates present in Accra. More than 30 ecumenical representatives coming from more than 15 countries from Africa and Europe reiterated their endorsement of the African Churches’ joint ecumenical statement on aid effectiveness adopted by AACC and SECAM in May.

The ecumenical alliance is pushing for governments to provide space and mechanisms for a meaningful engagement of all development stakeholders, including the Churches, into the development processes at country and international levels. Without access to information, civil society is not able to engage and hold to account governments, hence our plea for greater transparency and inclusive national frameworks for accountability.

These were the messages that Bishop Dandala, Secretary General of AACC, and Simson Mwale, Programme Officer of SECAM, delivered at the Ghana TV.

During the dinner given in the SECAM office garden, the ecumenical delegates could enjoy traditional music and dances from Ghana. A good start for what promises to be an intense week of dialogue!
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Part 2: We’ll always have Paris
30 August 2008

When it comes to aid effectiveness, Civil Society Organisations or CSOs are not only critical of governments and development agencies. CSOs are actors of development themselves and recognize that effectiveness, accountability, transparency, impact also apply to them too.

However, the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness can’t be endorsed by CSOs, because some of its principles that are very relevant to donor-government relations would greatly endanger the autonomy and independence of CSOs.

This is why a new process was launched last summer on finding a consensus on development effectiveness, a concept broader than aid effectiveness. It could apply to CSOs and other stakeholders. Caritas Internationalis is actively involved in this process, as one of the 25 members composing the Global Facilitation Group (GFG).

The GFG met for the first time in Accra on 30 August and agreed a roadmap for what will be an extensive process of consultations at grass-root level on CSO effectiveness. The GFG will design an outreach strategy to engage CSOs at national and local levels, and facilitate a political dialogue with governments and donors on the matters of development effectiveness.
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Part 3: On parallel lines
31 August 2008

More than 6000 organisations from across the world participated in the consultation process in the run-up to the Third High Level Forum (HLF3) on Aid Effectiveness in Accra.

This two-day Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) Parallel Forum on aid effectiveness aimed to prepare the civil society’s message and demands to the High-Level Forum.

The Forum prepared a joint CSO statement that will be conveyed at the ministerial meeting during the high level forum. With their statement and their concrete proposals for amendments, CSO delegates hope to influence the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) that will be adopted by donors and partners countries as an outcome of the meeting.

The statement said that CSOs: “Call on officials present in Accra to respond with urgency. What we need in Accra are clear time-bound commitments to deliver real results for people on the ground, towards the eradication of poverty, inequality and social exclusion. This is a political not a technical challenge, and should be treated as such.”

The draft version of the Accra Agenda for Action as it stands today remains weak and lacks ambition.

Rene Grotenhuis of Cordaid, representing Caritas Internationalis at the High Level Forum, said “it would be better to have no Accra Agenda for Action, than an AAA with low standards that would discourage or possibly impede groups of donors and partner countries ready to take more ambitious targets for themselves”.

Caritas Internationalis would like to see stronger language in the AAA referring to multi-stakeholders accountability systems, in which CSOs will be meaningfully involved.

We are also advocating for the recognition of the need to disclose information relating to aid flows regularly and systematically to citizens.

To avoid dependence on aid, we are advocating for a broader agenda on development effectiveness, that will create links between effective aid and just trade, debt cancellation, financing for development, gender equality, environment sustainability, respect for human rights.

This is what, in Caritas, we call the integral human development.

Members of the ecumenical alliance put our specific proposals to Jan Cedergran, Chair of the OECD Working Party on Aid Effectiveness, representatives of the European Commission, and of the French Delegation/EU Presidency at side meetings.

Justin Kilcullen, from Trocaire (Caritas Ireland) representing CONCORD, the European NGO confederation for relief and development was also invited as the sole representative of civil society at the reception hosted by the EU Presidency at the French embassy, gathering all European delegations at the High Level Forum.
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Part 4: A flavour of goings on
31 August 2008

The CSO Parallel Forum was a chance for all participants coming from all over the world to share their views and experiences on topics relating to aid effectiveness.

From the ecumenical alliance, Gwen Berge of Norwegian Church Aid representing ACT Development shared a workshop focusing on harmonization, one of the principles in the Paris Declaration. Peter Lanzet of EED, part of the ecumenical alliance, provided inputs with insights from Germany.

Direct budget support is often highlighted as a possible response to the lack of ownership and harmonization at country level. Participants provided diverse opinions regarding the benefits of direct budget support regarding democracy and CSO engagement. Indeed, with more funds directly channelled directly through national budget, there may be fewer funds available for local CSOs, especially in context where the relations between the government and CSOs are difficult.

A participant also pointed that harmonization should be first and foremost with international standards and these international treaties and conventions, including human rights conventions, that donors and governments have signed.

Rene Grotenhuis of Cordaid, representing Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE, chaired a workshop on mutual accountability. He opened the session by saying that “people are not object, but subject and bearer of development”.

Mwansa Njelesami from EJN South Africa, a member of the ecumenical alliance, stressed that the Paris Declaration does not recognize the power imbalances between donors and partner governments, which has created a situation of upwards accountability, from partner governments towards their donors, rather than a downwards accountability towards the citizens.

She explained how in Zambia and Malawi, Church organisations were able to look into how funds have been spent, in collaboration with the national government. But this is unfortunately not always possible when the governments and donors are not disclosing information in a systematic way.

Participants also highlighted the need to hold multinational companies accountable for their behaviour in developing countries, which can have adverse effects on development and local communities’ livelihoods. Information regarding agreements between governments and multinational companies should be made available to citizens.

Accountability is also a linked to the debt debate. Some donors and lenders are co-responsible for the high level of debt of some developing countries and they should be held accountable for this.

Participants agreed that citizen’s access to information and the right to information is at the centre of the accountability debate. Information on aid flows should be made available regularly and systematically to CSOs, but also information should vulgarised so that ordinary citizens have a chance to understand it.

At the end of the first day, an ecumenical worship service was given in the main hall of the CSO Forum. Bishop Dandala led the service and Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi Ghana, Most Rev. Thomas Mensah, offered to the audience his perspectives on aid effectiveness, with a special focus on situation of fragilities and conflict. During the service, we could hear messages from the health workers, the education workers, the agricultural workers and the youth. The colourful Ghanaian choir enchanted the congregation.
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Part 5: Church perspectives
31 August 2008

On the second day, the CSO Forum provided space and time for proposals of thematic workshops. The ecumenical alliance proposed a workshop entitled “making aid accountable: Church perspectives on aid and development monitoring”.

The workshop was opened by Archbishop Thomas Mensah of Kumasi who stressed that the Church is active in playing a complementary role to the government and the international community in development efforts.

Humphrey Mulemba presented the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection experience in Zambia in monitoring public expenditure as a way to hold government accountable.

JCTR developed a debt resource monitoring manual for citizens to track public expenditure and hold government accountable for the use of the public resources. The project is still in its infancy but it shows promise of stimulating community participation.

Brice Mackosso related the experience of Justice and Peace Commission in Congo Brazzaville in joining the Publish What You Pay campaign, targeting the multinational oil companies operating in the country.

The national authorities demonstrated hostility and sent some activists in jail. Thanks to the mobilization of bishop conferences in different counties and continents, and the support of the World Bank, they were released.

Today, the Justice and Peace Commission carried its monitoring activities and advocacy work to hold accountable the government and the multinational extractive corporations.

Vincent Edoku explained how Caritas Uganda is involved in initiatives centred on promoting good governance and fighting corruption.
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Part 6: The real business begins
2 September 2008

The Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness gathers more than a thousand delegates from all over the world representing donor governments, aid recipient governments, national and international development agencies, international financial institutions, members of parliaments, as well as representatives of the civil society.

A first surprise from this Forum is that although only 80 accreditations were originally granted to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) representatives (including one to Caritas Internationals), the pro-activeness of CSOs paid off and more representatives were taken on board in their national delegations. Eventually, the total number of participants from the civil society could be has large as 150.

Capitalizing on the energy mobilized during the CSO Parallel Forum, CSO representatives have embraced this Forum with a sense of urgency and momentum. CSOs really dominated the debates of the round tables discussions. CSO representatives provided relevant evidences of good and bad practices and asked decisive questions demanding explanations to institutional officials.

With the exception of a government delegate from Africa who questioned the legitimacy of CSOs, it was felt that the CSO messages were generally well received.

Such an acceptance leaves many CSO participants puzzled and begin to wonder if the round tables discussions are not a diversion from the real negotiations scene, taking place behind closed doors amongst governments and agencies only.

There seems to be very limited consensus on the Accra Agenda for Action that will come out of the Forum. Controversial issues include the introduction of an obligation to untie food aid, the setting of more ambitious targets for aid predictability, the lifting of aid conditions.

A second surprise is that the parliamentarian delegation has shrunk because of the decision of the European Parliament Members not to attend the Forum, arguing that parliamentarians have not been part of the Paris Declaration process enough. The lack of engagement of parliaments and the lack of consideration for their instrumental role in implementing the principled of ownership and mutual accountability were underlined by different delegates in different sessions.

Overall, the nature of the talks and exchanges of this first day were fairly technical; the political dimension of aid policy is being disregarded. Charles Mutasa from the African debt-focused NGO, AFRODAD, said at the round table on harmonisation, “Aid effectiveness is not the most important issue in Africa, China is.”
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Part 7: Reflections on effectiveness and coherence
3 September 2008

Effectiveness means impact, notably. In the context of aid effectiveness, the impact we are talking about is people-centre sustainable development; it is about enlarging people’s opportunities, raising people’s living standards, improving people’s living conditions and environment, ensuring people’s ability to exercise their rights, in a sustainable manner.

Aid alone cannot achieve this impact, if it is not planned and implemented in consideration of the many other policies and instruments that affect a country development. Aid must be designed in a broader view that would link together effective aid, sustainable financing, just trade, debt relief, socially responsible corporate agreements, for ‘development effectiveness’.

For donors, the risk is to give with one hand what they take back with the other hand. To avoid this too familiar situation, donors must untie their aid and technical assistance, and ensure more coherence between all external policies around the sole objective of development. This is what we call policy coherence for development.

Policy coherence for development is applicable to partner countries. One important aspect of it, at national level, is the coherence, the lack of it, between the national development strategies and the agreements signed with multinational companies, especially in the area of extractive sectors (oil, copper, diamond). As we heard from our colleagues in the CSO Forum, in many countries of Africa, such as Zambia and Congo Brazzaville, multinational extractive industries operations had very adverse effects and result in an impoverishment of local communities.
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Part 8: Maybe we won’t always have Paris after all
03.09.08

The good thing about today is that dissatisfaction is not only a thing for civil society organisations; but also for ministers!

Many ministers due to finalise and sign the Accra Agenda of Action (AAA) tomorrow, arrived in the Ghanaian capital in the evening to attend the ministerial dinner hosted by the Ghana President. Ministers until then had not been involved in the negotiations, led by their technical staff and what ministers found upon their arrival, was a deadlock situation.

Thus, at technical level, the European Union, Japan, the World Bank and the United States would not compromise on their positions. The EU let the rumour go that they would issue a separate a statement at the end of the Forum, to demonstrate their willingness to go beyond the too weak AAA on specific issues, including the use of country systems and harmonisation, promoting division of labour. Partner countries remained generally silent. African ones showed a lack of coordination and divisions among themselves. Brazil voiced their dissatisfaction with the process which they felt was not inclusive enough. They tried to get other partner countries of Latin America to sign a common separate statement.

At 5.30pm, a general sentiment of failure was blowing in the Accra Conference Centre. René Grotenhuis, representing Caritas Internationalis, evoked an “Agenda for Inaction” announcing “the death of the Paris Declaration”.

But we heard just before the ministerial dinner started that negotiations were re-opened. Many ministers indeed were too unhappy with the AAA as it stood and the absence of room for political manoeuvre.

This provided a light of hope for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). And since a CSO representative was to read out a CSO statement at the ministerial dinner, there was still a chance to influence the AAA.
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Part 9: A last minute so and so deal
4 September 2008

As we reached the conference centre today, we had no news about the outcome of the ministerial negotiations.

Apparently, negotiators had stayed at the table until 3.am and met again early in the morning.

Nothing much filtered out of the negotiation room, where Civil Society Organisations are not invited. We still hadn’t seen any text but hope starting growing when the French representative of the EU Presidency expressed his content and optimism.

Just after him, Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development, said “With this Accra Agenda for Action, we have an operational framework that will allow us to turn our promises into concrete actions”.

Finally, the best kept secret was released and copies were distributed. A first look at it and indeed, it is obviously a much improved version last the previous ones. The language is stronger on different aspects.

The use of country systems has become “the first option for aid programme” and if donors decide not to use them, they will have to justify the reasons.

The role of civil society “as independent development actors in their own right” and of parliaments is recognised throughout the Agenda.
However, the Agenda includes only few time bound actions.

The Forum failed to set more ambitious targets for phasing out tied aid, which creates a virtuous loop by which aid goes back to donor countries. No targets either were set to improve aid predictability, which would allow partner countries to plan better their development process.

Tomorrow will start the hard work ahead of us, Churches and CSOs to advocate for monitoring and accompanying the implementation of the Agenda.

No more words. Action!
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G8-Hokkaido: Final Day

July 9, 2008

Read this entry in Spanish and French
By Joseph Donnelly-International Media Centre/Hokkaido G8 Summit

Part I

When everything is urgent the clocks tick 24/7 around the world. When everything is urgent the accountabilities start now, not tomorrow.Competing challenges demand concrete action plans today - from G8 and all. That’s where we are at in Hokkaido as those gathered start to disperse.

The mood, the tone, the attitudes have already shifted. More comment about 2009 and 2015 than 2008; something to be wary about. The way forward looms larger than yesterday - the work plan manifest again.

“I am glad I came here from Africa. I’m grateful to see this G8 in action. It’s not what I thought or imagined, but it’s now clear what we must do. As a woman in development in my country, in our region,” said Carolyn.

“I learned a lot here. I know now more of what I need to know and do to engage policies. I will go next year with many more lessons learned back home with farmers.”

One of the impressive, authentic voices here in Japan this week. She didn’t come for a show - or to be the show; she came to bear witnesses the real needs and real opportunities; she’s neither discouraged nor naive.

Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda briefs us all at this minute. “Indeed at times there have been tensions as we, G8, spoke with each other. These global challenges are very large; it’s been a complex agenda from which we’ve made much progress…and found major cooperation from leaders.”

“Much of what we discussed with major economies will be with us in Italy next year.”

Global concerns rooted in national initiatives echo from the G8 spokespeople today: “We’re at the midpoint of MDGs, we can’t back up now.”

Part II

Another Joseph, this one from Uganda, has been organizing civil society community groups for decades: “It’s so important for us to be at the G8, but I agree with Caritas that local voices need to be even more visible at these summits.”You’re right, it’s not enough to be invited. We need to work together, take the risk to get a seat at the table with a more respected voice on the agenda.

“Maybe - if there’s really a serious desire to help, to meet, to support development and Africa, the G8 could come to Africa. Such a meeting in our countries, amidst our natural beauty, wouldn’t be a show. It could be a challenge for all.

“And yes - we would need to be even more serious about things we want to fix ourselves. Maybe we misplaced our voice, lost our own energy sometimes to fix what we know needs fixing.”

Maybe indeed, as the G8 has considered “the historical structures for G8″ these last 34 years - maybe we can be necessary agents of change.

And that maybe must be now.

Cumbre del G8 en Hokkaido: Último Día

Por Joseph Donnelly - Centro Internacional de Prensa/Cumbre del G8 en Hokkaido

I Parte

Cuando todo es urgente, el tictac de los relojes no se detiene. Cuando todo es urgente la rendición de cuentas empieza ahora, no mañana.

Los desafíos en conflicto exigen planes concretos de acción hoy, de parte del G8 y de todos. Es en ese punto en el que nos encontramos aquí en Hokkaido, conforme aquellos que se reunieron se empiezan a dispersar.

El ánimo, el tono y las actitudes ya han cambiado. Más comentarios acerca de 2009 y de 2015 que de 2008; hay que ser precavidos. De acuerdo con el plan, nuevamente el camino hacia adelante se vislumbra más largo que ayer.

“Estoy contenta de haber venido desde África. Estoy agradecida de ver al G8 en acción. No es lo que yo pensaba o lo que me imaginaba; pero ahora tengo claro lo que tenemos que hacer. Como mujer trabajando en desarrollo en mi país, en nuestra región”, dijo Carolyn.

“He aprendido mucho. Ahora sé mejor lo que tengo que saber y lo que tengo que hacer para involucrarme en las políticas. El próximo año iré con muchas más lecciones aprendidas con los agricultores en mi país”.

Una de las voces impactantes y genuinas que estuvo presente esta semana Japón. Carolyn no vino a ver un show, o a ser uno, ella vino a ser testigo de las verdaderas necesidades y de las verdaderas oportunidades; no está desalentada ni es ingenua.

El Primer Ministro Japonés, Yasuo Fukuda, declaró: “En verdad a veces ha habido tensiones cuando nosotros, el G8, hablamos entre nosotros. Estos cambios globales son muy grandes; ha sido una agenda compleja en la que hemos avanzado mucho… y hemos encontrado mucha cooperación de los líderes”.

“Mucho de lo que hemos discutido con las principales economías seguirá estando con nosotros el próximo año en Italia”.

Las inquietudes mundiales arraigadas en las iniciativas nacionales resonaron hoy en las palabras de los voceros del G8: “Estamos a la mitad del camino para cumplir con los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio, no nos podemos hacer para atrás”.

II Parte

Otro participante, también llamado Joseph, proveniente de Uganda, ha estado organizando grupos comunitarios de la sociedad civil durante décadas: “Para nosotros es muy importante estar en la Cumbre del G8, pero estoy de acuerdo con Caritas en que las voces locales tienen que tener aún más presencia en estas cumbres”.

“Tienen razón, ser invitado no es suficiente. Tenemos que trabajar juntos, tomar el riesgo de sentarnos a la mesa con una voz más respetada en la agenda”.

“Quizá si realmente hay un deseo de ayudar, de reunirse, de apoyar el desarrollo y a África, el G8 podría ir a África. Dicha reunión en nuestros países, en medio de la belleza natural, no sería un show. Podría ser un reto para todos ellos”.

“Y sí, nosotros mismos tendríamos que ser más serios en lo que respecta a lo que queremos remediar. Quizá a veces hemos perdido nuestra voz o desperdiciado nuestra energía tratando de remediar lo que sabemos que necesita remedio”.

Tal vez sea cierto que durante los últimos 34 años el G8 ha considerado “las estructuras históricas para el G8″, quizá nosotros podemos ser los agentes necesarios para el cambio.

Y quizá eso tenga que ser ahora.

G8-Hokkaido : Dernier jour

Par Joseph C Donnelly - Centre international des médias / Sommet du G8 à Hokkaido

Partie I

Quand tout est urgent les pendules sonnent 24h/24, 7j/7 dans le monde entier. Quand tout est urgent, les responsabilités commencent maintenant, pas demain.

Des challenges opposés exigent des plans d’action concrets aujourd’hui - du G8 et de tous. Voilà où nous en sommes à Hokkaido quand ceux qui sont venus commencent à se disperser.

L’humeur, le ton, les attitudes ont déjà changés. Plus de personnes font des commentaires sur 2009 et 2015 que 2008 ; de quoi s’inquiéter. L’avenir semble plus proche qu’hier – Le plan d’action est à nouveau manifeste.

“Je suis heureuse d’être venue pour l’Afrique. Je suis reconnaissante de voir ce G8 en action. Ce n’est pas ce que j’avais pensé ou imaginé, mais ce que nous devons faire est désormais clair. En tant que femme qui aide mon pays, notre région à se développer,” a déclaré Carolyn.

“J’ai beaucoup appris ici. Je sais désormais ce que je dois savoir et ce que je dois faire pour faire avancer les choses. Je reviendrai l’année prochaine en ayant appris d’autres leçons dans mon pays avec les agriculteurs.”

Ce n’est qu’une des voix impressionnantes et authentiques qu’on a entendues au Japon cette semaine. Elle n’est pas venue pour un spectacle – ou pour être le spectacle – elle est venue pour témoigner des véritables besoins et des véritables perspectives d’avenir. Elle n’est ni découragée, ni naïve.

Le premier ministre japonais, Fukuda, nous met tous au courant : “Il y a en effet eu des tensions quand nous, le G8, avons entamé les discussions. Ces challenges mondiaux sont très grands. Ce fut un ordre du jour complexe sur lequel nous avons bien progressé… et avons trouvé une bonne coopération des leaders.”

“La plus grande partie de ce que nous avons débattu avec les grandes économies sera à nouveau examiné en Italie l’année prochaine.”

Les inquiétudes mondiales venant des initiatives nationales renvoient l’écho du porte-parole du G8 aujourd’hui : “Nous sommes à mi-chemin des ODM, nous ne pouvons pas faire marche arrière maintenant.”

Partie II

Un autre Joseph, celui-là d’Ouganda, regroupe les communautés et la société civile depuis des années : “Il est très important pour nous que nous soyons au sommet du G8, mais je suis d’accord avec Caritas pour dire que les voix locales doivent y être encore plus visibles.

“Vous avez raison, ça ne suffit pas d’être invités. Nous avons besoin de travailler ensemble, de prendre le risque de nous asseoir à la table des négociations afin d’avoir une voix plus respectée à l’ordre du jour.

“Peut-être que s’ils ont vraiment envie d’aider, de rencontrer, de soutenir le développement et l’Afrique, les leaders du G8 pourraient venir en Afrique. Une telle réunion dans nos pays, au milieu de notre belle nature, ne serait pas un spectacle. Ce pourrait être un challenge pour nous tous.

“Et oui, nous devrions être encore plus sérieux sur les choses que nous voulons faire nous-mêmes. Nous nous sommes peut-être égarés, avons peut-être parfois perdu notre énergie pour réparer ce qui a besoin d’être réparé.”

Peut-être en effet, alors que le G8 examine “les structures historiques du G8″ depuis 34 ans – peut-être que nous pouvons être les agents nécessaires du changement.

Et ce peut-être doit être maintenant.

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G8-Hokkaido Day Two Summary

July 8, 2008

Read this entry in Spanish and French

By Joseph Donnelly-International Media Centre/Hokkaido G8 Summit

Entry Three: Waiting for a deal on climate change

It’s absolutely wrong to think nothing happens when world leaders gather. It’s absolutely correct however to challenge the outcomes.

That’s what unfolded today in this remote resort community on a Japanese mountaintop. It was a day of who said what about climate change and about bio-fuels, and about how they were impacting on poor people.

These words on climate change come together after months of work consulting the right people, with other key governments, and even with civil society and NGO actors.

But nagging tensions buzzed, then brewed through these corridors the last 24 hours. With tens of millions of fragile lives in the balance all over the world, the G8 message on climate change was eagerly awaited.

Indeed, voices from the grassroots reverberated here: “If a simple person like me in an urban town can do something simple for a child far away, imagine what our world leaders could do… at those meetings to help people everywhere.”

There is a large sense in these rooms this week that we’re here with our constituents. We’re here with our partners, echoing their voices and messages. We represent many people, who give us an important legitimacy.

We waited…

Entry Four: We have a climate change deal

Government spokespersons released the news: “We’re committed to avoiding the most serious consequences of climate change -and determined to achieve the stabilization of atmospheric concentrations of global greenhouse gases…”

That’s what the powerful ones said as their statement totalling 18 large paragraphs covering 7 pages reads on. It must be read in full!

We all need to read where this “progress” is heading. No one is ever pleased with every word or turn of phrase. We need to insure it’s more than predictable rhetoric.

The general consensus suggests very cautious optimism amidst understandable disappointments as the last minutes of this day fade off. In the end - it seems countless media sources reached out to NGOs to get solid bottom lines, the enduring heart of environmental challenges while governments
traded badges of honour amongst themselves.

As day is done its fair for Caritas to affirm there’s been some movement.

We have cautious optimism. We’re eager to encourage serious informed leadership.

However, it needs to have an energized pace. We definitely share the fear. Standing still in this process is as bad as slipping backwards - which becomes inevitable. Yes, huge new funds must come forward, sooner not later. Urgent, but focused. Every dollar delayed risks the lives of the most vulnerable people.

Cumbre del G8 en Hokkaido, Tercer Día

Tercera anotación: A la espera de un acuerdo sobre el cambio climático

Es totalmente erróneo pensar que no sucede nada cuando se reúnen los líderes mundiales. Sin embargo, es totalmente apropiado cuestionar los resultados.

Eso fue lo que sucedió hoy en este remoto centro turístico en la cima de las montañas japonesas. Fue un día de quién dijo qué sobre el cambio climático y los biocombustibles, y sobre el impacto que los mismos tienen en los pobres.

Estos mensajes sobre el cambio climático surgen después de meses de consulta con las personas adecuadas, con otros gobiernos claves e incluso con actores de la sociedad civil y de las ONG.

Sin embargo, molestas tensiones hirvieron por estos corredores durante las últimas 24 horas. Mientras decenas de millones de vidas frágiles penden de un hilo en todo el mundo, el mensaje del G8 sobre el cambio climático se esperaba con ansiedad e impaciencia.

Las voces de las bases reverberaban: “Si una persona común y corriente como yo, en un centro urbano, puede hacer algo simple por un niño que se encuentra a gran distancia, imagínense lo que podrían hacer los líderes mundiales… en esas reuniones para ayudar a todo el mundo”.
En estas salas hay una sensación de unidad. Estamos aquí con nuestras contrapartes, haciendo eco de sus mensajes y de sus voces. Representamos a muchas personas que nos dan una legitimidad importante.

Esperamos…

Cuarta anotación: Tenemos un acuerdo sobre el cambio climático

Los voceros de los gobiernos dieron a conocer la noticia: “Estamos comprometidos a evitar las consecuencias más severas del cambio climático y estamos determinados a lograr la estabilización de las concentraciones atmosféricas de los gases de invernadero mundiales…”

Esto fue lo que dijeron los poderosos en su comunicado que en total ocupa 18 párrafos en 7 páginas. ¡Hay que leer el documento completo!

Debemos leer hacia dónde va este “avance”. Nunca nadie está satisfecho con cada palabra o con cada expresión. Debemos asegurar que esto es más que la esperada retórica.

Al finalizar el día, entre las muchas y comprensibles decepciones, el consenso general es que hay que ser optimista pero cauteloso.

Asimismo, Caritas puede afirmar que ha habido movimiento.

Nos encontramos con optimismo pero cautelosos. Estamos ansiosos por fomentar el liderazgo serio e informado.

No obstante, dicho liderazgo debe tener un ritmo entusiasta. Definitivamente compartimos el temor. Quedarse quietos en este proceso es lo mismo que dar un paso atrás - lo cual resulta inevitable. Sí, se deben crear nuevos fondos, lo antes posible. Urgente, pero enfocado. Cada dólar retrasado pone en peligro las vidas de los más vulnerables.

G8-Hokkaido Deuxième jour

Note trois : Attente d’un programme sur le changement climatique

C’est une erreur de penser que rien ne se passe quand les leaders mondiaux se réunissent. Il est toutefois tout à fait correct d’en contester les issues.

C’est ce qui a été révélé aujourd’hui dans ce lieu isolé au sommet d’une montagne japonaise. Ce fut une journée sur qui a dit quoi sur le changement climatique, les biocarburants, et leurs effets sur les pauvres.

Ces discussions sur le changement climatique ont lieu après des mois de consultations avec les bonnes personnes, d’autres gouvernements clés, et des acteurs de la société civile et des ONG.

Mais on a senti des tensions persistantes qui se sont propagées dans les couloirs ces dernières 24 heures. Avec des dizaines de millions de vies fragiles en jeu dans le monde entier, le message du G8 sur le changement climatique était attendu avec impatience.

En effet, des voix ont retenti : “Si une personne ordinaire comme moi peut faire quelque chose de simple pour un enfant qui habite loin, imaginez ce que les leaders mondiaux peuvent faire… lors de ces réunions pour aider les gens du monde entier.”

Il y a un fort sentiment cette semaine que nous sommes ici avec nos électeurs. Nous sommes ici avec nos partenaires, renvoyant leurs voix et leurs messages. Nous représentons beaucoup de personnes, ce qui nous donne une légitimité importante.

Nous avons attendu…

Note quatre : Nous avons un programme pour le changement climatique

Le porte-parole des gouvernements a annoncé la nouvelle : ” Nous prenons l’engagement d’éviter les conséquences les plus graves du changement climatique et nous sommes déterminés à parvenir à une stabilisation des concentrations atmosphériques des gaz à effet de serre à l’échelle de la planète…”

C’est ce que les dirigeants ont dit dans leur déclaration de 18 grands paragraphes sur un total de 7 pages. Il faut la lire en entier !

Nous devons tous savoir vers où ce “progrès” se dirige. On n’est jamais content de chaque mot ou de chaque tournure de phrase. Nous devons nous assurer que c’est plus qu’un discours prévisible.

Le consensus général laisse entendre un optimisme très prudent au milieu de déceptions légitimes en cette fin de journée. En fin de compte, on dirait que de nombreuses sources médiatiques se sont tournées vers les ONG pour avoir une conclusion solide sur les challenges environnementaux pendant que les gouvernements se félicitent les uns les autres.

Le jour tirant à sa fin, Caritas peut affirmer qu’il y a eu du mouvement.

Notre optimisme est prudent. Nous voulons encourager les dirigeants à être sincères et informés.

Toutefois, le rythme doit être énergique. Nous partageons la peur. Ne pas avancer dans ce processus, c’est comme revenir en arrière – ce qui devient inévitable. Oui, de nouveaux fonds importants sont nécessaires, vite et non plus tard. Urgents, mais ciblés. Chaque dollar qui est retardé met en danger la vie des plus vulnérables.

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G8-Hokkaido Day One Summary

July 7, 2008

Read this entry in Spanish or French

By Joseph Donnelly-International Media Centre/Hokkaido G8 Summit

Entry One: Storms, Tannabata, and Africa

The G8 Summit in Japan opened on the annual festival of Tannabata, when Japanese tradition celebrates dreams and hopes usually in clear skies.

People tie write their wishes on pieces of paper and tie them to trees.

As G8 leaders arrived to this extremely rustic remote venue, the heavens broke forth with intense rushing rains. Streams of water flowed through ‘Day One’ nearly swamping an otherwise green oasis.

AFRICA! AFRICA! AFRICA! echoed through the day, the debates and the informed dialogues with G8 countries, with the African Union and African leaders, with the UN Secretary General, the World Bank and others.

The food crisis, the fuel crisis, the climate change crisis - and the violent instability
in southern Africa, in Zimbabwe, generated more language about the priority problems in Africa, and beyond.

On the NGO and civil society side of the street, there were countless echoes and answers to the big questions of the day.

Where are the promises made for the sake of African communities? Where is Japan’s bold pledge of profound assistance within concrete timeframe?

Hard-working, deeply engaged community leaders, farmers, mothers, teachers from Zambia, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Malawi - spoke up here with their substantial Tannabata hopes and invitations to meet global pledges with practical, do-able programs of effective aid.

For example, Joyce, a dedicated mother of seven, who maintains her home and family with her husband - and then works her farm while supporting other small farmers to be resourceful. She says they find their plenty in their human abundance, recognizing each other’s strengths and resourcefulness. “All we need is to be recognized and appreciated.”

A colleague from another country notes: “Governments need to listen to her, bring her poignant voice to the powerful decision makers.”

Indeed, Joyce doesn’t come begging. It’s not charity; it’s intelligent, informed investment in people, in communities. Without honest relationships with the human family there will never be a collective enduring justice.

The hope is the rain washed away the empty rhetoric and not the Tannabata dreams of so many that the G8 would deliver justice.

Entry Two: Justice

The other major echo on Day One was - JUSTICE! JUSTICE! JUSTICE!
Justice for the poor, for the vulnerable, for the innocent and the resourceful human beings who stand ready to work for their futures, for their own communities.

Too many high level delegations travel deep into Africa, getting global media attention without delivering adequately on their past promises, leaving expectant human beings more at risk.

Some people suffer injustices, but none more than the poor.

Cynicism clouds the conversations here. Disappointments dig deep into the good will and high hopes of humanitarian organizations and advocacy colleagues. At the close of an unexpected gray day, we are all challenged.

Decisions based on policy discussions this week have far reaching effects on millions of people. Indeed, billions of needs require billions of dollars .Government commitments need to be dynamic, comprehensive and capable of serious partnerships with local communities.

Without engaging the human family directly everyone in Hokkaido tonight knows what absolutely lies ahead.

A Japanese colleague steeped in health care efforts reminded us all, governments and civil society alike: “The World is Watching!”

For Africa, for everywhere - MDGs are part of the hoped-for solutions or the call to action. No one is able to deny this reality.

Cumbre del G8 en Hokkaido

RESUMEN DEL PRIMER DÍA

Por Joseph Donnelly - Centro Internacional de Prensa/Cumbre del G8 en Hokkaido

Primera anotación: Tormentas, Tanabata y África

La Cumbre del G8 en Japón dio inicio coincidiendo con el festival anual de Tanabata, ocasión en que la tradición japonesa celebra los sueños y los anhelos, generalmente bajo un cielo claro y despejado.

La gente escribe sus deseos en trozos de papel que luego ata a los árboles.

Conforme los líderes del G8 fueron arribando a este rústico y remoto lugar, los cielos se abrieron dando paso a un intenso aguacero. Ríos de agua corrieron durante todo el “Primer Día”, casi inundando la tierra que normalmente es un verde oasis.

¡ÁFRICA! ¡ÁFRICA! ¡ÁFRICA! fue el eco que resonó durante todo el día, en los debates y los diálogos informados con los países del G8 con la Unión Africana y con los líderes africanos, con el Secretario General de la ONU, el Banco Mundial y otros.

La crisis alimentaria, la crisis del petróleo, la crisis del cambio climático y la violenta inestabilidad en el sur de África, en Zimbabwe, generaron más discusión acerca de los problemas prioritarios en África y más allá.

En lo que respecta a las ONG y la sociedad civil hubo innumerables ecos y respuestas a las grandes preguntas del día.

¿Qué pasó con las promesas que se hicieron por el bien de las comunidades africanas? ¿Qué pasó con el enérgico compromiso que Japón hizo en relación con proporcionar más asistencia dentro de un período específico?

Líderes comunitarios, agricultores, madres y maestros trabajadores y fuertemente comprometidos de Zambia, Uganda, Sudáfrica, Nigeria, Benín y Malawi hablaron de sus anhelos de Tanabata e hicieron un llamado a cumplir las promesas mundiales con programas eficaces de ayuda que sean prácticos y realizables.

Por ejemplo, Joyce, una devota madre con siete hijos, que junto con su esposo mantiene su hogar y a su familia y que además trabaja en su granja y al mismo tiempo apoya a otros agricultores para tengan más recursos; dice que ellos encuentran la abundancia en su prodigalidad humana, reconociendo su mutua fortaleza y talento: “Todo lo que necesitamos es que se nos reconozca y se nos aprecie”.

Un colega de otro país señaló: “Los gobiernos deben escucharla, transmitirle su conmovedor mensaje a los poderosos entes decisorios”.

Joyce no pide limosna. No es caridad; es una inversión inteligente e informada en la gente, en las comunidades. Sin una relación honesta con la familia humana no podrá existir una justicia colectiva duradera.
La esperanza es que la lluvia se haya llevado la retórica vacía de significado y no los sueños de Tabanata de que el G8 haga justicia.

Segunda anotación: Justicia

El segundo eco importante del Primer Día fue: ¡JUSTICIA! ¡JUSTICIA! ¡JUSTICIA!
Justicia para los pobres, para los vulnerables, para los inocentes y para los seres humanos dispuestos a trabajar por su futuro, por sus propias comunidades.

Demasiadas delegaciones de alto nivel visitan las profundidades del África captando la atención de la prensa internacional sin cumplir a cabalidad sus promesas previas, poniendo a los expectantes seres humanos bajo mayor riesgo.

Algunos sufren injusticias, pero nadie más que los pobres.

Aquí, el cinismo nubla las conversaciones. Las decepciones se clavan en la buena voluntad y las ilusiones de las organizaciones humanitarias y de incidencia. Al culminar un inesperado día gris, todos nos vemos cuestionados.

Las decisiones que se tomarán esta semana sobre la base de las discusiones de políticas afectarán a millones de personas. Millardos de necesidades requieren de millardos de dólares. Los compromisos de los gobiernos deben ser dinámicos, integrales y capaces de establecer partenariados formales con las comunidades locales.

Todos los que están en Hokkaido esta noche saben lo que nos espera si no se involucra directamente a la familia humana.

Un colega japonés fuertemente involucrado en atención médica nos recordó a todos, gobierno y sociedad civil por igual: “¡El mundo está a la mira!”

Para África, y para todo el mundo, los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio son parte de las soluciones anheladas o del llamado a la acción. Nadie puede negar esta realidad.

G8-Hokkaido PREMIER JOUR - RESUME

Par Joseph C Donnelly- Centre international des médias / Sommet du G8 à Hokkaido

Note une : Tempêtes, Tanabata, et Afrique

Le sommet du G8 au Japon s’est ouvert le premier jour du festival annuel de Tanabata, tradition japonaise qui fête les rêves et les espoirs.

Les gens écrivent leurs vœux sur des bouts de papiers et les accrochent aux arbres.

Quand les leaders du G8 sont arrivés dans cet endroit très isolé de la campagne japonaise, le ciel s’est mis à déverser des trombes d’eau. Il a plu pendant toute la première journée, presque jusqu’au point d’inonder une oasis par ailleurs verte.

L’AFRIQUE ! L’AFRIQUE ! L’AFRIQUE ! a retenti toute la journée, dans tous les débats et les dialogues avec les pays du G8, l’Union africaine et les leaders africains, le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, la banque mondiale et d’autres.

La crise alimentaire, la crise du pétrole, la crise du changement climatique – et l’instabilité violente en Afrique australe, au Zimbabwe, a suscité des discussions sur les problèmes prioritaires en Afrique et au-delà.

Du côté des ONG et de la société civile, on entendait nombre d’échos et de réponses à la grande question du jour.

Où sont les promesses faites pour les communautés africaines ? Où est l’engagement hardi du Japon d’une assistance importante avec une date concrète ?

Des chefs de file de communautés, des agriculteurs, des mères, des enseignants de Zambie, d’Ouganda, d’Afrique du Sud, du Nigeria, du Bénin, du Malawi, qui travaillent durs et sont fortement engagés, ont exprimés leurs espoirs de Tanabata et demandé que les engagements mondiaux soient suivis par des aides efficaces, concrètes et réalisables.

Citons par exemple Joyce, mère dévouée de sept enfants, qui entretient sa maison et sa famille avec son mari tout en travaillant dans sa ferme et soutenant d’autres petits agriculteurs. Elle dit qu’ils trouvent tout ce dont ils ont besoin en chacun, reconnaissant leurs forces et leur ingéniosité. “Tout ce dont nous avons besoin, c’est d’être reconnus et appréciés.”

Un collègue d’un autre pays constate : “Les gouvernements ont besoin de l’écouter, de faire entendre sa voix émouvante aux décideurs.”

En effet, Joyce ne mendie pas. Ce n’est pas de la charité. Elle s’investit de façon intelligente et informée dans les populations, les communautés. Sans une relation honnête avec la famille humaine, il n’y aura jamais de justice collective durable.

L’espoir, c’est que la pluie balaye les discours creux et non les rêves de Tanabata. Beaucoup espèrent que le sommet du G8 rendra justice.

Note deux : Justice

L’autre grand écho du premier jour était – JUSTICE ! JUSTICE ! JUSTICE !
Justice pour les pauvres, les vulnérables, les innocents et ceux qui sont prêts à travailler pour leur avenir et leurs communautés.

Trop de délégations formées de hauts responsables vont au cœur de l’Afrique, reçoivent l’attention des médias du monde entier mais ne tiennent pas leurs promesses, mettant en danger la vie d’humains plein d’espoirs.

Certains souffrent d’injustices, mais personne autant que les pauvres.

Le cynisme assombrit les conversations. Les déceptions puisent dans la bonne volonté et les espoirs des organisations humanitaires et des collègues lobbyistes. A la fin d’une journée étonnamment triste, nous sommes tous mis au défi.

Les décisions qui seront prises après les discussions politiques de cette semaine auront des effets très importants sur des millions de personnes. En effet, des milliards de besoins demandent des milliards de dollars. Les gouvernement doivent pouvoir s’engager de façon dynamique, totale et doivent pouvoir s’associer avec les communautés locales.

Sans engager directement la famille humaine, tout le monde à Hokkaido ce soir sait ce que réserve l’avenir.

Un collègue japonais investi dans la lutte pour les soins médicaux nous a rappelé à tous, aux gouvernements et à la société civile : “Le monde nous regarde !”

Pour l’Afrique, pour partout – les OMD font partie des solutions espérées ou de l’appel à agir. Personne ne peut nier cette réalité.

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